Back to Basics

Back to Basics

Col. 2:6-7

Theme: God shows us how going back to the basics give Biblical stability for the believer.

Welcome to Vision Sunday here at MVBC. Our theme as you can see is Back to Basics. We are thrilled you have a joined us on this special Sunday. If you are a first-time guest, we would love for you to be a part of what God is going to do for us.

Back to Basics is used often with synonyms like going back to square one or starting at the ground floor. There are times where it is very healthy for us to go back to a fresh starting point. Sometimes in the middle of busyness, you can get away from the basics.

In 1959, the Green Bay Packers were a struggling team that had only won two games the previous season. At age 45, Vince Lombardi became a head coach for the first time in his life. He wasn’t going to let last year’s record shape his expectations. This was a new season and 2024 can be a new season for all of us.

When the discouraged group of players gathered for their first preseason meeting, they were all wondering how their new coach was planning to turn things around. Coach Lombardi entered the locker room and stood silently for several seconds. Holding out a football in front of these men, he spoke one of the most famous quotes in football history.

“Gentlemen, this is a football.”

In those five words, the new coach had communicated his philosophy for the team’s success. They were going to start with the basics and make sure to execute the fundamentals. They had been losing because they had forgotten the basics. Vince Lombardi led them to great victories and they became a powerhouse in football.

When you go to a professional sporting event, you will notice the athletes are practicing fundamentals prior to the start of the game. The best players work on the basics or fundamentals.

As God has led us into this journey, what are the basics of the Christian life? What are the fundamental foundations we are to build our lives upon? We will study several basics so as not to forget them. God outlines several basics in the Christian life. In fact, the more you will spend learning the basics, the less you will spend time learning the nonessentials.

There is a caution we must be aware of. As we go back to the basics, it cannot be rote,mechanical, and heartless study. The basics are to be natural and normal elements of the Christian life.

Paul is writing to a church which was being inundated with wrong teaching by those outside of the church. These teachers were called gnostics who were saying they are intelligent and though you start with Christ, you need get into a deeper knowledge to really grow. These deniers of Christ were coming to the new converts teaching mature growth comes through these deeper things we can show you.

There are three reasons we go back to basics and they are taken out of these two verses. He teaches the basics through three illustrations: agriculture, architectural, and nature.

Reason 1. . .

Proper root

First illustration is agricultural.

The word root here is an agricultural term which goes to the heart of the matter. Many people don’t have a fruit problem but a root problem. Christians are not to be tumbleweeds blown away by every wind of doctrine.

“That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;” (Ephesians 4:14)

We must be rooted in Christ and Him alone. Unfortunately, many Christians want an experienced or feeling kind of Christianity. God wants us to get back to simple, basic Christianity 101.

New Christians will have a natural desire to want to learn more, grow more, and learn things they do not know. The problem is there are plenty false teachers out there willing to make you their disciple. Everything we are taught needs to be filtered through God’s Word.

Once we are rooted by faith in Christ, we do not need to change the soil. Psalm 1 is a foundational passage about fruitfulness.

In verse 3, a Christian is like a tree that is planted. There is the interesting phenomenon with strong trees. Their roots are deeper and sometimes bigger than the tree itself. An apple tree by the third year can grow roots as deep are 29 feet. It is the invisible truth that the deeper the root, the stronger the tree. This invisible truth is also in reference to a believer whose roots are deep into Christ. Your roots will strengthen your growth and ability to withstand the winds of opposition.

A tree’s root system will search for a water source. A tree that is planted near a water source will be a fruitful tree.

The water source for a Christian is God’s Word. The more of God’s Word in our lives, the deeper our root system will be.

“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,” (Ephesians 5:25–26)

This is the reason for connection groups so you can get deeper into God’s Word. You learn the Christian life is anchored in Christ and you learn from others how to deepen your walk. As people share their heart, their prayer request needs, it helps each person to grow.

His leaf will not wither which is a picture of a testimony. In dendrology you learn the kind of tree is see by the leaves. What kind of leaves do you have growing in your life Christian? Jesus says:

“Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” (Matthew 7:16–20)

Jesus is teaching the fruit of a tree is known by the root of the tree. An apple tree does not produce figs or a fig tree produce oranges. God’s people should inspect their personal fruit to make sure it is in line with God’s Word.

Where are your roots today? Has there been a time in your life when you accepted Christ as your personal Savior?

Reason 2 . . .

Proper materials

Please notice built up is an architectural term which is in the present tense. Currently our lives are built on something. When we call on Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are put on the right foundation, but then we are to grow in grace.

Second illustration: architectural

Paul writes about using the right materials in our Christian walk in I Cor. 3:11-15

Fire is an instrument of God’s judgment and God is saying the materials we choose should be able to stand the test of fire.

Wood, hay, stubble are things that won’t last. They will burn rather quickly because of the material. It is not that wood, hay, stubble is all bad, but it won’t last. Some invest time, energy, and effort in beauty, only to find beauty will not last. Wrinkles will come, the body will weaken, and skin will change. Some will invest in sports. They spend more time at the gym or sports stadium than they do at church. Some will invest time in social media and they spend more time on social media than reading God’s Word. Some will spend time trying to get more money only to find if they do get it, money won’t satisfy. It is only necessary for this side of heaven.

We are told not to chase worldliness. I John 2:15-17

Wordliness will destroy our lives and the one around us. Anger, bitterness, malice, lustfulness, pride, envy, are just a few of the things God is very clear that is wood hay stubble. The problem with worldliness is how to define it. Here God spells out the characteristics of worldliness.

Gold, silver, and precious stones. These are things that have lasting value. In fact, these materials will most often outlive us as we pass on our inheritance to our children.

The Bible gives us many virtues or character qualities which are like gold or silver. The qualities of self-control, of prayer, of Bible reading, of loving others, or treating people properly, of investing in eternal things, of rearing children as a Godly heritage.

Galatians 5 speaks of the fruit of the spirit which is emblematic of gold, silver, and precious stones.

Every day you choose the materials you use to build your life upon. This year we will let the Bible uncover the difference between the temporal things and the eternal things. What is valuable and what is worthless.

This does not mean that hobbies and finances are not to have a place in our lives, but they are not to be our lives. You will have to decide what materials you will build upon. If you build upon Biblical virtues, you will grow as a believer in Christ.

When we accepted Christ as our Savior, it means more than simply accepting Him. It means our entire reason for living will be recalibrated towards Christ. He is our life and whatever He says, we are to obey. We receive Him as Christ: the Anointed One, the Messiah.

We are to surrender more and more to Him every day. If God asks us, it should be a Godly yes. Whole-heartedly yes to God and no to the things which will hinder or hurt our walk with God. Yes to admitting sin, yes to obeying what God asks, yes to serving Him. For God, it should be a one big Yes.

Reason 3. . .There is one more reason. .

Proper living

Paul says a believer who is rooted and built up in Christ is abounding. What a blessing to know we are abounding because this abundant life given to us by Jesus is a tremendous blessing. The Hebrew word Shalom speaks of a general abundance and well-being of body, soul, and spirit.

This third illustration: river

Proper living means living for God, serving Him, and loving others. Sharing care and respect to others. Jesus tells us these are the two greatest commandments

“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” (Matthew 22:37–39)

God intends that we know Him, have fellowship with Him, and enjoy living the Christian life. Verse 6 says we walk “in Him.” This means my life will always turn in to heaven. This means we check in regularly, we take our marching orders from Jesus, we honor Him with our life. We walk in Him.

We are established in Him means we are anchored and settled on Him and His will.

This means we are abounding which suggests the picture of a river overflowing its banks. Our first experience in the Lord is that of drinking the water of life by faith and He puts within us an artesian well of living water so that it grows deeper and deeper. Our lives are anchored firmly in Jesus and our satisfaction is Christ. This overflowing water illustrates the overflowing joy and life found in knowing Jesus.

As you have been taught tells us we must learn through teaching. Teaching may be one on one where someone shows you from the Bible these great truths or it may mean in a community of people where you learn from the teacher and each other. This means we learn how to deal with life Biblically like raising our children or responding to an annoying neighbor. It will tell us how to deal with proper values and the things that matter in life. God is reminding us we are interdependent on other believers especially in a church community.

You cannot abound until you first know Jesus Christ. If you have never accepted Him as your Savior, you can accept Him today. You can turn to Him today. Will call upon Him?

Christian what about your roots? Are they in the wrong soil? God may speaking to you to plant your roots in Christ? Will you come back to Him?